The '''Straight Road''' is the route that leaves the earth's curvature through sky and space to the ethereal land of [[Aman]].

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The '''Straight Road''' was the route that left the [[Middle-earth]]'s curvature through sky and space to the ethereal land of [[Aman]].

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The Straight Road, so called because it follows the old path across [[Belegaer]] from before the [[Akallabêth]] when the Flat World was made Round, is only kept open to [[Elves]], who are allowed to sail to it on their ships by a special grace of the [[Valar]].

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==History==

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The Straight Road, so called because it followed the old path across [[Belegaer]] from before the [[Downfall of Númenor]] when the Flat World was [[Changing of the World|made Round]], was only kept open to [[Elves]], who were allowed to sail to it on their ships by a special grace of the [[Valar]].<ref>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>

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A ship departing on the Straight Road, when observed from the shore, would slowly become smaller to sight until it disappeared in a point, and not drop behind the horizon.

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By the [[Third Age]] the Elves would take ships to follow the Straight Road and return to Aman from the [[Grey Havens]] or [[Edhellond]].<ref>{{UT|Amroth}}</ref>

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It is noted in earlier writings by Tolkien that some mortals besides those carried on Elven ships like the [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] and [[Bilbo Baggins]] can also find this route (like [[Ælfwine]] from ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]''). Possibly also ''Smith'' from ''[[Smith of Wootton Major]]'' found this road to "Faery".

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Some mortals were allowed to take the Straight Road to Aman. [[Bilbo Baggins]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] sailed into the West on the [[White Ship]].<ref>{{RK|VI9}}</ref> Later [[Samwise Gamgee]] and [[Gimli]] were also permitted to depart for Aman.<ref>{{App|Later}}</ref> Long after the [[Fourth Age]], [[Ælfwine]] of England found the Straight Road and visited [[Tol Eressëa]].<ref>[{LT2|VI}}</ref>

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[[Category:Roads]]

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==Other writings==

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[[Smith]] appears to have found a conceptually similar road, leading him to the land of "[[Faery]]".<ref>{{HM|SWM}}</ref>

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==See also==

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*[[Ælfwine]]

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{{references}}

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[[Category:Concepts]]

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[[Category:Aman]]

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[[Category:Roads and streets]]

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[[de:Gerader Weg]]

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[[fi:Suora Tie]]

Revision as of 16:28, 23 February 2013

The Straight Road was the route that left the Middle-earth's curvature through sky and space to the ethereal land of Aman.

History

The Straight Road, so called because it followed the old path across Belegaer from before the Downfall of Númenor when the Flat World was made Round, was only kept open to Elves, who were allowed to sail to it on their ships by a special grace of the Valar.[1]